Saturday’s Game Report: Cardinals 8, Rangers 2
Dakota Hudson gave the Cardinals exactly what they needed Saturday night in Texas.
So did Paul DeJong.
Hudson allowed just two runs over six innings and DeJong had a season-high four RBIs to lead the Cardinals past the Rangers, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Desperate for a well-pitched game from their starter, the Cardinals saw Hudson allow just five hits over his six innings after the start of the game was delayed for more than two hours because of rain.
DeJong drove in a run with a groundout, had a key two-run double in a five-run fifth inning and capped the night with a homer in the ninth, his eighth of the season.
The game also featured the 2019 debut of Carlos Martinez, who pitched the ninth inning.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: DeJong was one of four Cardinals with two hits, joining Matt Carpenter, Harrison Bader and Yadier Molina … Paul Goldschmidt reached base three times on two walks and a single and scored twice … The Cardinals broke the game open with the five-run fifth, when Carpenter doubled in a run and Jose Martinez had an RBI single … Marcell Ozuna had a single to drive in his 40th run of the year but he also struck out three times.
On the mound: Hudson allowed the first two batters in the first inning to reach base or a walk and a single before he got out of the inning. He allowed just two more hits until the fifth inning, when the Rangers scored both of their runs. He walked two and struck out five … John Gant worked two scoreless innings, allowing just one single, before Martinez came in for the ninth. He had a strikeout and hit a batter before getting a game-ending double play.
Key stat: The Cardinals were 0-of-6 with runners in scoring position before DeJong doubled in the fifth. That snapped a hitless streak of 22 consecutive at-bats without a hit by the Cardinals with a runner on second or third. They finished the game with three hits in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Worth noting: It was the sixth time this season a Cardinal has driven in four or more runs in a game. The team’s season high is five from Goldschmidt and Ozuna. Ozuna also has had two games with four RBI and the other came from Dexter Fowler … It was the third time in DeJong’s career he had at least four RBIs in a game. He did that once last year and also had a five-RBI game.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will conclude the series and the road trip on Sunday. Jack Flaherty is the scheduled starter.
